184 
THE MAMMALS OF EGYPT. 
Felis caeacal, Giildenst. 
Felts caracal, Giildenstaedtj Nov. Comm. Petrop. xx. 1776, p. 500; Schreb. Savig. iii. 1778, p. 413, 
pi. 110 ; Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, 1888, p. 88 ; Lydekker, Allen's Naturalist's Library, 
“Cats," 1895, p. 188. 
Felis caracal, var. 7 . nubicus, Fischer, Synops. Mamm. 1829, p. 210. 
Fells {Lynx) caracal, Heuglin, Peterm. Mittheil. 1861, p. 14; Reise N.O.-Afr. ii. 1877, p. 55 . 
Caracal herberorum, Matschie, SB. naturf. Fr. Berlin, 1892, p. 114. 
Dr. Anderson has the following notes on two specimens :— 
“ The head-skin of Caracal from Suakin, obtained by Major Tenton, M.A.M.C., 1) 8.0. 
“ Some of the hairs of the ear-pencils are 60 mm. long, but the general length of 
the tuft is about 40 mm. The head is rather rufous yellow. 
“ 1 skin, 6 . Mts. north of Tor, Sinaitic Peninsula. Mr. Th. Meyer, German Consul, 
Suez. 
“ This specimen is uniform rufous fawn. The ear-pencils are about 60 mm. long, 
tipped with rufous, the basal portion being yellowish white and black, the latter 
predominating. There is a considerable amount of grey mixed with the black of the 
back of the ears. 
“ A specimen of this species coloured like the foregoing was also obtained from 
some Arabs in the Wadi Hoaf, Heluan; and Mr. J. C. Mitchell thinks it came from 
the banks of the Gulf of Suez, near Suez on the Ataka side.” 
Riippell (‘Eeisen Nub., Kordof., &c.’ 1829, pp. 63-67) mentions Felis caracal as 
one of the animals hunted in the months of May and June in the western deserts 
of the Dongola district. 
Heuglin records this species from Takah, and says it probably occurs all along the 
Egyptian coast north of Massowah. The Arab name is rendered ‘ Om risad.’ 
Hartmann (Zeitschr. Ges. Erdk. Berlin, iii. p. 58) mentions that this animal is 
represented on the walls of the tombs at Beni Hasan. 
The Cai’acal is closely allied to the Lynx, as is shown in its general build and long 
tufted ears; but it has no long hair on the throat forming a ruff. The skull has also 
the peculiarities of the Lynx, the ascending processes of the premaxillae being long 
and frequently meeting the frontals, the first upper premolar usually absent in the 
adult, and the inner cusp of the carnassial small. 
Ihe skull is readily distinguished from that of F. chaus in being broader in proportion 
to its length, more powerful throughout, the nasals broad and truncated, the stronger 
zygomatic arches, and the postorbital processes (both frontal and malar) shorter. The 
squamosal process is not cut away on the upper side of the arch, but tapers very 
slightly and has a broad termination in the base of the ascending process of the 
malar. On the palatal aspect the most obvious differences, besides the peculiar 
character of the teeth, are the greater posterior projection of the palate and the 
latei al contraction of the presphenoid anteriorly and posteriorly.—W. E. be W. 
